12 Bar Blues in E

Songs Using The 12 Bar Sequence: Before You Accuse Me, Sweet Home Chicago, Heart Break Hotel

Key: E

Did You Know? This form of the 12 Bar Blues was codified and standardised by W.C. Handy in his songs 'Yellow Dog Blues,' 'Beale Street Blues' & 'St. Louis Blues'


Difficulty Level: Yellow Pick (Orange Pick Using Full B7 and 7th chords for E & A)

Most Advanced Chord Change: Yellow Pick (when played with open anchor chords throughout)

Yellow Pick Version

Chords: 

Open E Chord

Open A Chord

Open B7 Chord: X21202

Open E7: 020100

Open A7: x02020


Easier Chords:

Use B11 Instead of B7: X21200 (No Little finger)

Strumming Patterns:

Straight 8s:

|D  U  D  U  D  U  D  U|


Played with a shuffle:

|D   U D   U D   U D   U |


Version 1:
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |E - - - |


Version 2: (Using 7th)
|E - - - |E7 - - - |E - - - |E7 - - - |
|A - - - |A7 - - - |E - - - |E7 - - - |
|B7 - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |E7 - - - |

Version 3: (Quick Change Blues)
|E - - - |A - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|A - - - |A - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
|B7 - - - |A - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |


Version 4: (Quick Change Blues with 7ths)
|E - - - |A7 - - - |E - - - |E7 - - - |
|A - - - |A7 - - - |E - - - |E7 - - - |
|B7 - - - |A7 - - - |E7 - - - |B7 - - - |


Final Chord Strum: E

Song Videos

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